Hitting the Road

The All Terrain Cabin, produced by Vancouver-based design collective BARK, redefines the concept of a mobile home. Showcasing original products from more than 50 Canadian designers and manufacturers (we highlight five here), the 480-square-foot dwelling folds into an ordinary shipping container for transport by air, land, or water. A family of four and one pet can set up camp in the compact yet fully operational eco-friendly home, complete with its own supply of water, heat, and power.

In addition to showcasing the country’s principles and designs for sustainable living, the All Terrain Cabin was driven by a need to demon­strate that Canada has the brainpower and manufacturing capability necessary­ to compete toe to toe on the world stage, according to cofounder Christian Blyt. “Countries that are known for design—Finland, Denmark, Italy—not only have the talent and tradition, they know how to promote their designers to get them noticed,” he says. “Canada has a lot of talent too, and it takes a bit of untraditional thinking to get people to see it.” After wrapping up its Canadian tour with a stop in Ottawa, the All Terrain Cabin heads off to Atlan­ta for its international debut this month.